


Black Mamba

by Nightwires (KukereTheFox)



Series: Black Mamba [2]
Category: Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers Family, Awesome Phil Coulson, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Needs a Hug, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, I love her, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki Redemption, Not Canon Compliant, Not anti-Jane, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Steve Rogers Feels, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-01-25 19:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12539572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KukereTheFox/pseuds/Nightwires
Summary: "So, what's your story?" Tanya blinked, turning her emerald eyes to Tony's reclined form. She had tuned out at the mention of the trickster god. Their paths had never crossed in her world. He stuck to Asgard, and on the off chance he chose to come to earth the Avengers handled it."Retired low life criminal blackmailed out of retirement." She shrugged, popping a munchkin into her mouth before chasing it down with the remainder of her tea from earlier."That's it?" Tanya perked up at Steve's voice. He looked so young without his beard and the weight of the world on his shoulders. "No godly powers, specialized skill set?"Her head tilted slightly as she pondered. "Well, I wouldn't call them godly…""Tanya Sealy. Codename Black Mamba. Former member of Serpent Society and B.A.D Girls Inc. Later went onto become a mercenary for hire. Powers include but are not limited to minor telepathic abilities, hypnosis and manipulation of darkforce energy."Silence followed Coulson's introduction and Tanya couldn't help but snort. "Yeah, nothing godly."





	1. Am I a threat to you, Natasha?

**Author's Note:**

> Fucking up canon is what I'm best at, only second to procrastinating. Here's what happens when you throw a Marvel-616 character-post Civil War, into the Marvel Cinematic Universe-pre all the bad shit. Most chapters are written in short interludes combined together because I hate writing transitions.
> 
> I own nothing, not even Tanya. But I do own a bag of Twixs and kinda this plot since Tanya has no stories written about her outside of the comics.
> 
> Also posted on Wattpad

A dark clad figure made their way through the bumbling streets of Hell’s Kitchen. They stuck close to the wall, walking at a brisk pace in hurry. Someone was following them. Weather the individual wanted to intentionally be noticed or not didn’t matter as they noticed the man following them 2 blocks ago.

She had two options, either make a run for it and hope they don’t catch her or to confront them. Personally, she prefered to run away from her problems-so run she did.

Spinning on her heal, she turned down the first alleyway she crossed. She knew this town like the back of her hand. She knew which alleys led where and which shortcuts to take. She couldn’t go back home. That’s where she first noticed the man. A curse escaped her red painted lips as the man’s footsteps drew nearer and pushed her body to go faster.

This man was relentless as he easily kept pace with her sprinting, ignoring the splashes from the puddles from the earlier morning rain. She couldn’t run for much longer. Her lungs threatened to burst from exertion and her leg muscles were starting to burn. 

‘Shit.’

She had missed her turn and a brick wall was suddenly staring her in the face. She couldn’t turn back around. It was too late for her. She could have easily stopped him by using her powers but she refused. ‘I won’t go down that path again.’

"Miss. Sweet?"

The woman’s back stiffened at the use of her old alias. She hadn't been called that name in nearly 5 years. She hasn’t used that name in nearly 5 years. How long had they been tracking her, and why now would they chose to reveal themselves now?

"What do you want?" A purple mass slowly began to coat her skin, causing the density in the air surrounding them to shift.

"Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D."

The woman snorted as she turned around, lowering the dark hood that covered her head. Inky black hair was released from her hood, framing her pale oval shaped face. Emerald orbs met his pale blue eyes unwaveringly. "I know who you are Agent Coulson." 

She could never forget Agent Coulson. He may seem like a simple man at first sight, but she had seen exactly what this man was capable of. 'Could be capable of.' The mass covering her skin began to diminish, lying just below the surface of her skin. It was a defensive mechanism she had developed sometime before the war. The mass’ presence warded of any potential threats. It especially helped when she walked the streets at night so she never had to resort to using her powers. 

"Have we met?" Coulson asked, face betraying his confusion. He was fairly certain they hadn’t. As far as he knew she hadn’t left Hell’s Kitchen once in the time they had been keeping tabs on her, and he’s never had a reason to venture here before he was tasked with retrieving her.

"Not formally, and I had hoped we never would. No offense." She added, eyes alight in faint amusement despite herself. “I was trying to keep a low profile.”

“Ah yes,” Coulson mused, dusting off the drops of rain that fell from the fire escape above them. “Using what locals described as ‘black tentacles’ to restrain a group of armed robbers in broad daylight is a great way to keep a low profile.”

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. “Still as sassy as ever I see,” she paused, emerald eyes narrowing into slits “and they’re not tentacles.”

+

"It's funny. You want me to fight for the one thing I sought to destroy at one point." She mused, eyes bouncing around the Helicarrier and lingering on the faces of familiar S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as she kept pace with the older man. She’s never been inside one of them before. She prefered her feet on the ground for the most part. The view would have been amazing if she didn’t feel like she was suddenly going to fall. ‘Asps would have loved this.’

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" Coulson asked, pulling her from her musings.

An amused chuckle escaped her as she gazed at him through the corner of her eye. His breath caught at the bright emerald orb that was previously hidden behind rose tinted shades. He knew her eyes were green, but the glasses prevented the him from seeing how practically luminous her eyes were.

"No, Philip, the Avengers."

+

 

It was like a weird sense of deja-vu sitting here across from the Avengers. As if the last 10 years of her life never really happened. Here they were, sitting together like practical strangers. It gave her hope that maybe, just maybe things would be different from what she expected would happen. Besides the obvious fact that she was an Avenger now. ‘Diamond would have a field day if she saw me now.’ 

There were subtle differences from her Avengers. Tony’s eyes for example. Gone were the familiar baby blues and in place were a warm whisky color. Also he was a brunette now. At least the goatee survived. Steve was still the same. Although he didn’t seem quite as muscular as she remembered. Bruce, after her initial surprise of seeing him there, his curly black, slightly graying hair was the only difference she noticed. Natasha was also the same. The familiar analyzing glare almost came as a relief even if she was on the receiving side of it...and then there was Thor. Her eyes narrowed on the god as he stood in front of the table. His crystal blue eyes met hers suddenly. 

“Is something troubling you, my lady?”

Her cheeks dusted pink at having been caught. Something was missing, and he looked almost...incomplete. Luscious blonde locks? A bit shorter but check. Stormy blue eyes? Check. Rippling muscles bound beneath soft looking Asgardian fabric? Check. Shiny hammer? Check. 

“Hm, no. Just staring into space.”

The blonde’s eyebrows furrowed. “You are gifted with the sight to see into space?”

“What? No, it’s an expression.” 

“Ah yes, another ‘expression’ of midgard. They are ‘not meant to be taken literally.’ Darcy tells me.”

Tanya blinked, tearing her eyes away from the god. ‘The fuck was that?’ Talk about weird encounters. She never spoke to her version of Thor. He stuck mostly to Asgard, showing up every once in awhile to aid the Avengers when the world was about to end. ‘Now I remember.’ He was missing the beard.

+

It was strange seeing Tony so young. The last time she saw him-at least in person-he had a full head of silver hair. The look was different, and he pulled it off well...but brunette suited him much better. He looked more youthful, despite the dark circles and bags under his eyes. At least that didn't change. He was currently sitting across from her, eyes downcast and brows furrowed in thought. She always remembered him to be animated, throwing in jokes when it really wasn't appropriate. Seeing him quiet and reserved was unsettling.

"Doughnut?"

Whisky colored eyes snapped up to meet hers, almost startled as if he hadn't noticed her before. He blinked, his gaze clearing as if he pulled his mind from a fog. "Are there Jelly ones?" He asked, gesturing to the box sitting in front of her.

"Of course. I'm no savage." Her lips quirked into a smile at the sound of amusement that escaped him. He placed the pen he had been twirling absentmindedly down, taking a munchkin from the box she slid closer to him.

"Thanks."

She really didn't like seeing him this way. They weren't close in her world. They may be exchanged a few words when they were enemies, even fewer during the war-but he was always bright. Larger than life with confidence and a silver tongue. She never knew she could miss someone who was sitting right across from her.

"No problem."

"I wouldn't trust her, Stark." The red-head spoke, eyes never leaving Tanya's relaxed form. A flicker of irritation crossed Tanya's expression as she bit down a growl. She's been doing her best to ignore Natasha since she settled in. She was still peeved over the whole Matt situation. Even if it was a lifetime ago. In a different reality. She didn't know this version of Natasha, but she was all too familiar with the assessing eyes and hostility.

"I've been in this room with her for less than 5 minutes and I already trust her more than I do you, Natalie." Tanya frowned over her sunglasses, eyes darting between Tony and Natasha. She was missing something here. Something important and she couldn't for the life of her figure it out.

The way he had said her name brought a flicker of an unknown emotion into the red-head's eyes before she shut her mouth, refusing to say anything else. At this, Tanya's frown deepened. Something was really wrong here. It was like watching two total strangers who wore familiar faces. Tony was never this hostile to Natasha. Not only were they on the same side of the war, but he always went to her if he needed something done. They worked well together, and her minor annoyance was always a cover for her mild amusement. It wasn't her business to pry. These weren't the people she once knew, and she had no right to be in their business.

"Now that we're all here."

The group looked up toward the sound of the voice. The eyepatch was familiar, although the face was not. This was a whole new person. Besides his face, it was his voice and the way he carried himself. She didn't hide the surprise from her face. No one was looking at her-well no one besides Natasha. She could never hide from the Black Widow. She wouldn't be surprised if she was confronted after this introduction.

"Welcome to the Avengers Initiative."

+

"So, what's your story?" Tanya blinked, turning her emerald eyes to Tony's reclined form. She had tuned out at the mention of the trickster god. Their paths had never crossed in her world. He stuck to Asgard, and on the off chance he chose to come to earth the Avengers handled it.

 

"Retired low life criminal blackmailed out of retirement." She shrugged, popping a munchkin into her mouth before chasing it down with the remainder of her tea from earlier.

"That's it?" Tanya perked up at Steve's voice. He looked so young without his beard and the weight of the world on his shoulders. "No godly powers, specialized skill set?"

Her head tilted slightly as she pondered. "Well, I wouldn't call them godly…"

"Tanya Sealy. Codename Black Mamba. Former member of Serpent Society and B.A.D Girls Inc. Later went onto become a mercenary for hire. Powers include but are not limited to minor telepathic abilities, hypnosis and manipulation of darkforce energy."

Silence followed Coulson's introduction and Tanya couldn't help but snort. "Yeah, nothing godly."

Finally, just as she suspected Natasha chose this moment to speak up. "How come we've never heard of you?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"Like I said, I'm retired."

"Even so, S.H.I.E.L.D documents any and all superhuman threats-"

"Do you feel threatened by me, Widow?" Tanya asked, a cruel smile growing on her face. "Maybe my existence is a little above your clearance level."

A huff of amusement escaped Tony from her side. "I like you. Where have you been my whole life?"

Her smile turned playful. "Hell's Kitchen as of recently. Nice little town. Kinda dull really."

"If you two are done, we have a task at hand."

"Aye aye, Captain." Tanya and Tony eyes met each other's, both shinning in amusement. Tony grinned, patting her shoulder.

"I'm keeping you. Name your price."

"My call girl days are over, sadly." Bruce choked on his glass of water, waving a hand to ignore him. "Sorry, Doctor Banner."

"It's fine, and please Bruce is just fine." She offered the reserved man a smile. He, like the others, was different from the Doctor Banner she knew. The fact that he was here was surprising. He wasn't an avenger-or at least a founding member of the Avengers. She's been around the hulk, sure. But never Bruce himself. He seemed alright to her. 

"There's no need to buy my friendship, Mr. Stark-”

“Call me Tony. Mr. Stark-”

“-was your father’s name, yes I know.”

Tony paused, gaze assessing as he regarded her. She was reclined in the desk chair, feet propped up on the empty seat next to her. A baggy dark green hoodie pooled around her torso. Odd, considering it was May and a little warmer than usual. Blue jeans hugged her shapely legs and a beat up pair of black converse covered her feet. To top it off, rose tinted sunglasses were perched on the bridge of her nose. She didn’t look familiar. He’s pretty sure he’d remember emerald eyes as bright as hers. But she seemed familiar. Like he’s seen her somewhere before.

“Have we met?” 

She tensed for a moment before forcing herself to relax. An easy smile tugged on her lips as she folded her fingers behind her head. “No, but you might have seen me on the news. ‘Octo-woman stops bank robbery in Hell’s Kitchen.’” 

“Octo-woman?”

“That was you?”

“Yes, that was me.” She said rolling her eyes. “If any of you call me Octowoman I will literally murder you.”

+

"Agent Coulson. A moment, please?"

Hearing his name being called, Phil lingered behind as the newly put together Avengers piled out of the room. Tanya was still sitting in her seat, passing her empty water cup between her hands. Phil closed the door behind them before taking the seat across from her.

"What can I do for you, Miss. Sealy?"

She waved a hand. "Please, call me Tanya."

"Only if you agree to call me Phil. We are going to be working with each other from now on."

She smiled, tucking her dark loose waves behind her ear. Coulson's eyes tracked the movement, blue eyes landing on the pink scar that ran from her right temple all the way to underneath her jaw. She had a few scars painting her pale skin, but none were quite as prominent as the one on her face. It seemed more recent compared to the others.

"That introduction you gave, well done on summarizing my life story…but there's a problem." She removed her sunglasses from her face and her serious emerald gaze met his. "Those organizations don't exist in this reality."

"I noticed."

"Natasha's going to be looking into this. If the Natasha I knew is anything like this reality's version she will not rest until she digs up every skeleton in my closet." She reached over and grabbed the file that rested in front of him on the table. Opening it, she slid out the flyer. "I doubt she's going to accept this flyer for the grand opening of Mama's Pizzeria as an answer."

Coulson chuckled as she closed back the file, accepting it from her hands. "Don't worry about that. I have a team working on your story. Would you mind speaking with them to get the details down?"

"Not at all. I'd have to change a few details, seeing as how some of those people either don't exist or aren't who I remember them to be." She mused, thinking back to her strange encounter with Hellcat. At least her and Jessica were still friends. 

"Of course." Coulson rose from his seat, offering her his hand to help her stand. "Sorry if I'm imposing, but I noticed you perked up when Captain America addressed you. Did you know him in your reality?"

"I don't mind. Talking about my world is the only way I stay connected to it, so feel free to ask. Yes I did know Steve, rather intimately if I do say so myself." She mused, pulling her sunglasses from being hooked on the neckline of her shirt.

"Oh, were you two…?" She snorted.

"Heavens no. I will admit he was, and rather still is, a fine hunk of man, he was off limits. He was secretly dating my friend Rachel so we ran into each other from time to time. She was so love sick it felt like we all were dating Captain America."

This drew a laugh from Coulson and his blue eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Oh the stories I could tell of the Adventures of Captain America and B.A.D Girls Inc." She walked to the door, hearing Coulson following behind her.

"Do you miss your world?"

Tanya hesitated reaching for the door. Did she miss her world? Sure she missed her friends, Rachel, Cleo, Matt…hell even that idiot Wade. But the world wasn't what it used to be. She couldn't go back to that hell. At least here her friends were alive and safe, even if they could never be what they once were she'd rather it be this way. She couldn't go back anyway. Things were different, and their friendship was torn apart by her choosing Tony's side.

"Tanya?"

"I miss my world before the war, Phil." She said softly, eyes downcast. "I miss my friends before I betrayed them by switching sides…but I can't go back even if I could. My heart wouldn't be able to handle losing the people I care about all over again." A tear spilled from her eye before she hastily wiped it away. She had her time to mourn and regret her decisions. It was no use pouring her heart out to a displaced Coulson.

"I'm…I'm sorry for bringing it up. I…I didn’t know."

She waved a hand, sniffling slightly. "Don't be. I'm sorry for oversharing. Let's go meet with that team of yours before Natasha beats us to it."

"Right."

+

Finally she opened the door, stepping aside to let Coulson lead the way once he closed the door. They walked in brief silence before Tanya eventually broke it. "This team of yours…" She met his cool gaze from behind rose-tinted glasses. "Can I trust them?"

"They won't know your secret. Just that you're giving a firsthand account of your story."

Pursing her lips, Tanya's gaze traveled to see the bustling of Agents around them. "Will I be taken into custody when I admit the atrocities I've committed?"

He cleared his throat. "Maybe it's best if you leave those parts out. Besides you're an Avenger now-"

"Oh, so that suddenly puts me above the law?"

Coulson stopped suddenly, feeling the air around them grow heavier. Turning around to face her he put his hands up, seeing her tensed form.

"Tanya."

Her eyes flashed from behind her lenses, swirling darker as she forced herself to calm down. "I apologize Agent Coulson. It's just an age old argument.” She tracked the movement of the tensed S.H.I.E.L.D agents around them, hands twitching towards their weapons. “Being a hero doesn’t make you untouchable. We still live under the same laws as the average citizen.” 

 

He nodded slowly, lowering his hands back down to his sides as the energy around them began to retreat. "That's understandable, and I commend you for wanting to be held accountable…However, I think for the time being it'd be in our best interest to keep that out of your file for the simple fact that none of it actually happened-at least here." He added, seeing her about to interrupt. He lowered his voice. "Besides, it's kind of hard to explain you coming from a different dimension."

Tanya snorted. "You people so easily believed Thor, God of Thunder, hailing from Asgard which happens to be in outer space-which proves the existence of aliens, but comprehending that I accidently stumbled through a portal created by the Sorcerer Supreme into your dimension is 'kind of hard' to understand?"

"Yes."

Tanya rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Of fucking course."

+

“What are you doing up here? Why aren’t you out there fighting?” 

Currently she was sitting in one of the unoccupied areas of the Helicarrier. She snagged a cup of tea from the kitchen area and was currently sipping away as she played with a tablet that was lying around. “I’m a pacifist, Philip.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Turning in her chair, she down the rest of her tea before meeting his gaze. His blue eyes unnerved her and forced her to look away. She snorted, feeling her hands begin to shake slightly. “I’m fucking terrified, Phil. I-I can’t go out there and fight. I’m not a hero.”

“Hey, look at me.” He whispered grabbing both of her hands in his, leaning forward in his chair to meet her eyes. “It’s okay to be scared, Tanya.” She shook her head, feeling her eyes begin to burn. 

“It’s not okay, Phil. Your people are in danger and I can’t even muster the balls to help them-”

“They’re your people, too.” He interrupted, rubbing her hands in attempt to warm them. It was as if she sucked the warmth from around her but couldn’t retain the heat. “You can’t keep distancing yourself from these people. Just because they aren’t the people you once knew doesn’t mean they’re not people. You stopped that bank robbery because you knew it was wrong. People were going to get hurt, and deep down you knew you couldn’t live with yourself if you sat by and watched it happen.”

A choked sob escaped her throat as she bowed her head in shame. “I don’t want to get attached to this world. What if I get sent back? What if I’m in some strange fucked up dream and when I wake up I’ll be back in that-in that shit hole-”

“-breathe, Tanya.” Phil paused as he waited for her to calm herself. “You know, maybe this is temporary. Maybe you being here is tearing a massive hole in the universe and eventually you’ll be dragged back in. Or maybe this is some sort of fucked up dream. I mean come on, aliens? This isn’t X-Files.” This drew a reluctant laugh from her, causing him to smile. “I’m telling you...this is real, Tanya. These people are alive, have hopes and dreams for the future. You were a hero to those people in the bank and right now those people need a hero.”

“But I can’t fight.”

He gestured outside the door where S.H.E.I.L.D agents were gathered around the monitor watching the situation between the Avengers and Loki closely. “You leave the fighting to the heavy hitters. You protect people, so do what you’re best at.”

“Miss. Sealy?” The pair turned her attention towards the agent who appeared in the doorway, slightly winded. “Director Fury would like to speak with you.”


	2. Gone With the Mist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this 3 months ago and just now I'm getting to post this. I am shit at this lol.

"You want me to do _what?"_  Her ears must be playing a trick on her. "You must be joking."  
  
"I do not _joke_ , Mamba." Fury stepped closer into Tanya's space, towering over her smaller frame. Tanya held her breath, emerald gaze locking onto his lone eye. Fear thrummed through her core, locking her feet to the ground despite how badly she wanted to create space. "Nor do I repeat myself, now march your ass into that room and find out everything we need to know."  
  
"Hey-okay." A hand gripped the back of Tanya's hoodie, tugging her back slightly to create space between her and Fury. She followed the hand back to Tony as he filled the space between them, causing Fury to take a step back. "Let's just settle down and talk about this."  
  
"There is nothing to talk about. I am not invading his mind. It's-it's immoral!"  
  
"Where were his morals when he got to Clint?" Natasha asked suddenly, grabbing their attention.  
  
"I'm not him, Natasha. I can't do it, not again." Back in the day, before everything went to shit it was easy for her to dig through people's minds. Manipulate them to her will by taunting them…but she couldn't do it. Not anymore.  
  
"Then I will get it out of him.” Natasha said, moving forward towards the Hulk proof cell. Loki’s eyes gazed at them through the glass, eyes twinkling with barely contained mischief. His gaze landed on Tanya briefly before settling on Natasha. “I don't need powers to get inside of his mind."  
  
+  
  
"He wants to speak with you."

  
Tanya's eyebrows nearly rose into her hairline. “What? Why?”

Natasha leveled her with a blank stare. “His exact words were ‘Bring me the false witch.’ He didn’t exactly give an explanation why.”

She stared past Natasha towards the god who sat in the chair of the cell. Blue eyes were analyzing her, practically assessing her from beyond the glass. “Do I have to go in there? He’s already revealed his plan hasn’t he?”

“No. He stopped himself right before revealing how he plans on doing it.”

Frowning, Tanya wrapped her arms around herself. “And you think he’s going to tell me?”

“No, but it’s worth a shot.”

 

+

 

Tanya walked into the room hesitantly, gnawing at her lip as her eyes never left the god’s form. A wide grin tugged on his pale face, shaking her to the core just from how unsettling it was.

“Come closer, child. I cannot harm you from inside this prison.” He drawled, causing her to tense. He rose from his seat, stepping closer to the glass to get a better look at her.

“What do you want from me?”

Loki paced in front of the glass, never breaking her gaze. “From you? Not a thing. There was a hitch in my plan and I’m merely stalling for time. However I am curious as to how you got here.” He stopped suddenly, a smirk growing on his face as her fingers began twitching at her side. Tanya clasped her hands behind her back as she noticed his wandering gaze.

“How do you-?” 

“You hum at a different frequency than the mortals. So either you’re a creature not of this planet-” He slammed a palm against the glass and Tanya flinched violently, staggering back and away from the glass. “-or of this world.” 

Tanya spun on her heel, fully intending on creating as much space between herself and the god as possible. Not even 5 minutes into their encounter and he managed to get under her skin. “You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy.” 

 

“Your secret is safe with me.”

 

At this Tanya paused, bewildered as she turned back to face Loki. Gone was the mischievous smirk and playful eyes. His face was serious, weather he was being truthful or not was unknown. However, she was leaning towards untruthful. “Bullshit.”

 

“You don’t believe me.”

 

“Oh please, do forgive me for not believing the God of Lies to do what he’s best at.” Tanya inhaled sharply, forcing her eyes shut as her powers began to rise to the surface. She hated being out of control. She had no room for mistakes.

“Fair enough. Consider this a show of good faith.” Loki waved a hand in a complicated matter and green smoke erupted from his fingers.

She took a hesitant step back. “What are you-?” The smoke suddenly emerged around her feet, forcing a startled yelp from her. “Stop, what are you-? Stop it!” A searing pain shot up her spine and she went rigid. The pain traveled to her brain stem and her eyes grew wide in panic. Just as quickly as it started it was over, leaving her panting and muscles sore. “What have you done to me?”

Her powers rose to the surface once again. This time the black mass surrounded her skin like a cocoon as Loki grinned at her. She could feel it coursing through her body, against her body. A strange and unnerving sensation that was beginning to freak her out.   

“Make it stop!” She was hyperventilating, taking in gulps of air faster and faster as the mass grew thicker and thicker. It obstructed her view, sending her world into darkness once again. The air density shifted and Tanya swore she was going to pass out. Suddenly Loki was in front of her and she choked on the dry air that was forcefully entering her throat.  

 

“Breathe, child.”

 

“I can’t-”

“Breathe before you kill us both!” She went to grip his hovering hand but realized it was a projection when her hand phased through his. “Look at me. Breathe with me.” 

Eventually her breathing slowed and the cloud of Darkforce energy dissipated around them. His projection faded. All was left was her and Loki still separated by the glass. “What did you do to me?” She demanded, voice still obstructed by her labored breathing.

“That chip was bound to malfunction. I could hear it shorting out earlier. I can only imagine what it must have felt like.”

Reaching a hand behind her head, she felt for the raised skin where her scar was. The square lump was gone, renewing her panic. 

“The more you used it the worse it was getting. That’s why you refuse to use your powers, isn’t it?” 

“For someone who thinks they know everything, you really know very little.” She straightened up hesitantly, ignoring the ghost pains that trembled her body. He was wrong, and in the wrong for using his magic on her without her consent. His overconfidence was always his downfall.

He waved a dismissive hand. “So I’ve been told. Now, how did you get here?”

 

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

 

Loki chuckled, running a hand through his hair to straighten it. “Ah yes. I’ve heard that silly metaphor. I was more fond of the other half of the statement many seemed to forget.” He pressed against the glass once again, his familiar grin tugging on his pale features. “Satisfaction brought it back.”

 

+

 

“He plans to use the Hulk.”

Natasha nodded, speaking orders into the earpiece as she walked off. Tanya’s eyes trailed after the redhead as her mind began to drift. She failed to notice Fury entering the room, so she startled at the clearing of his throat.

“What happened in there? My agents tell me something went down between you and Loki.”

Wiping her palms on her jeans, she made sure to meet his eye. Something about being alone with Fury set off warning bells in the back of her head. He was an imposing figure in her world and in this one, but never has she ever felt the need to cower away from him.

“Nothing I couldn’t handle.” She finally said once she regained her sense.

“Is that so? And is there a reason why the video and audio feeds were disrupted? As well as my agents being unable to enter the room?”

Tanya scowled, emerald eyes narrowing as she glared at the director. “Yes. Director, it’s called privacy. Something you’ve seem to forget existed.”

“Privacy?” Fury barked out a sarcastic laugh. “You want me to ignore what was said for the sake of privacy?”

“Yes, Director. I do. I got you what you wanted. We know his plan now, so stop wasting time on trivial conversations that have nothing to do with you.”

“We’re not finished here. You’re hiding something from me and I intending on finding out what.”

Tanya scoffed as she folded her arms. “Not if Natasha beats you to it.”

 

+

 

The Battle of New York was one of the most destructive events she ever bared witness too. Buildings crumbled, people running through the streets to find shelter and not to mention the aliens falling from the sky faster than the Avengers can handle them.

Tanya stuck to the ground, assisting people to safety along with a few brave S.H.I.E.L.D agents who volunteered to help her. They tried to stay out of the way of the battle, only going close if Cap redirects a civilian their way.

“Mamba!” She whipped her head around to her name being called, eyes darting towards the sound of the voice.

“Hold on to each other.” Tanya ordered, standing in front of the group. She raised her palms outwards as her energy rose to the surface, encasing the group in darkness. The group clutched at each other desperately as their vision became obstructed. She ignored their panic in order to concentrate. Eventually the darkness cleared and the group of agents and civilians once again were able to see the chaos happening around them.

“What did you do?”

A flaring pain shot through her right temple as her concentration intensified. “We can see them but they can’t see us.”

Agent Ressler looked down to his covered hands and sure enough glittering energy coated his skin, tingling slightly. “So we’re invisible?”

“As long as you stay connected, yes. Do not let go.” She instructed, reaching for his hand. She clasped her cold hand in his, ignoring the way his hand recoiled slightly at her touch. “Let’s keep moving.”

 

+

 

“Incoming!”

 

The group ducked, cowering underneath the building as the Centuri flew overhead. Wide eyes watched as Cap’s shield took out 3 of the nearest ones, and an arrow shot past Tanya’s face, narrowly missing her nose.

Switching her comlink on she switched to the Avengers channel. “Watch where you’re shooting those things, Barton!” She growled, eyes scanning the area for the safest way back to the base. There was so much happening around them it was mentally straining her to focus and keep the illusion up.

“Well excuse me, Mamba. It’s kind of hard watching for you guys when you’re LITERALLY INVISIBLE. Which you failed to mention in your file by the way.”

She waved the agents forward as they were finally clear of the area. “When did you have time to read my file?” She frowned, stopping as debris fell from over head.

 

“Natasha briefed me.”

 

She snorted, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. “Why am I not surprised?”

Steve's voice broke through their conversation. “Mamba, I’ve got another for you.”

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Tanya looked towards where the last place she saw Steve. A child was curled into his chest, protected by the shield as Natasha sent bullets towards the advancing enemy.

 

“I’m too far away, Cap.”

 

His blue eyes sought out hers, seeing her hiding inside a building with two agents flanking her side. The rest had been sent to cover the civilians as they made their way to safety. “I can’t reach you. There’s too many of them flanking us.”

Biting her lip in thought Tanya weighed her options. If the kid ran to her, they would be exposed. If she ran to the kid her focus would be broken, exposing Agents Ressler and Williams.

A hand landed on her shoulder, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. Ressler’s steely gaze met hers as he nodded. “Do it. We can take care of ourselves.”

Williams gave a crooked smile in agreement, lifting her gun up to eye level. “We’ve got this, boss.”

The energy coating their skin began to withdraw back to Tanya and they both shivered as the tingles left. They were more sensitive to the air around them after being accustomed to the sensation of the energy surrounding them.

 

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

 

WIlliams grinned, jerking a thumb in Ressler’s direction. “Stupid is his middle name.”

 

“Tessa-“

 

“Mamba, running out of options here.”

 

She ducked under the fallen support beam, rushing out the building towards Cap and Natasha. They were surrounded, back to back as Clint finally made their way back to them. “Cap, I’m coming in hot.”

He whirled around, blocking a blast from the alien’s gun as she finally caught up to him. He set the child down, tugging the tiny hands that clawed at his shoulders. “She’s going to take you somewhere safe okay?”

The child shook his head, fat tears spilling down his soot covered cheeks. “Scared.”

Steve keeled down to the kid's level, trusting Clint and Natasha to have his back, Green eyes wide with fear stared back into his, the boy’s dark curls and tanned features made his eyes look impossibly bigger. He placed a hand on his small shoulder, squeezing slightly. “It’s okay to be scared. We’re all scared, but trust me when I say Tanya will keep you safe. Okay?” At the boy’s nod Steve smiled, ruffling the kid’s hair. “Here she comes.”

Tanya skidded to a halt, dirty converses kicking up dirt and rubble. She no longer had her costume. She tossed it years ago after her retirement. So she settled for the standard S.H.I.E.L.D uniform despite how uncomfortable wearing it made her feel. She kept her shoes though. Running around was easier this way.

Extending a hand towards the boy, Tanya waited for him to reach out to her. She couldn’t just snatch him up. He was already scared enough. Thankfully she didn’t have to wait long. He latch onto her tightly, almost bruisingly so as her energy crackled around them.

 

“Keep him safe.”

 

Tanya nodded, wrapping her arms around the child to support him. “You got it, Cap.” She faded from sight, and he trusted her to get the kid to safety.

 

+

 

Hadrian shut his eyes to avoid seeing the monsters around him. Although, that didn’t prevent him from hearing the destruction currently happening. He could hear the city crumbling, the blasts from the monster’s weapons and the shouts and screams of those around him. He buried his face into the woman’s neck, hoping to dull the noise around him. He felt her arms tighten around him briefly.

“We’re almost there, kid. Bare with me.” Her skin was cold. Not unbearably so, but rather cool to the touch. Also, very smooth despite the scars he could see under her collar. She moved fast. Faster than he thought possible. They crossed a lot of ground in the few seconds she’s been running.

A grunt escaped the woman as something bright and hot collided with her back. They tumbled to the ground, her arms caging him to protect him from the harsh gravel. She fell limp, the dead weight nearly crushing as he struggled to escape.

“Mamba!” Hadrian turned his gaze to the blonde racing towards them. He was wearing a dark suit similar to the one the woman wore. The only difference was his had the shield symbol while hers did not.

She twitched at the sound of the man’s voice, face scrunched in pain as the flesh on her back sizzled. It created a nauseating smell that had his eyes watering. The man crouched to their side, gently turning Tanya on her side as he freed Hadrian.

 

“Save...the kid.”

 

The man shook his head, attempting to lift Tanya up. “I’m not leaving you here. You need a medic.” She hissed sharply as the skin on her back stretched. The blast tore a hole through her suit, revealing the charred flesh that looked sickly green around the edges.

“For fuck’s sake, Donald.” Gripping his wrist hard she made sure he met her gaze. “Take the kid and run!”

Donald’s face blanked as he rose stiffly. His eyes flicked before turning black as a similar colored mass settled over his skin. He grabbed Hadrian into his arms nearly faster than he could process before they took off. Hadrian protested, wild gaze glued to Tanya’s limp form. “We have to save her!”

His cries fell on deaf ears as the man entered an area where other civilians were hiding out. He was promptly placed down near a group of huddled children before the man apparently snapped out of his daze.

A woman pushed forward, also dressed in the same uniform as Tanya and Donald. “Where’s Tanya?” She asked in a hush tone.

“She’s...she said to leave her.” Donald forced out, face scrunched in concentration.

A fist punched his chest, causing him to stagger slightly at the force. “And you listened?” She hissed, lips curling back to reveal gaped teeth.

“She _manipulated_ me. I had no choice!” He argued, much to her frustration.

“Mama look!” Their attention was drawn away from each other as they followed the source of the voice.

“Is that Iron Man?” They all crowded around the window, and indeed Iron Man was flying above their heads carrying something illegible.

 

“What is that?”

 

They watched in fascination as he entered the wormhole. An sense of unease washed over the group as they waited for Iron Man to come back.

 

“Dad?”

 

Familiar red and gold, battered and dirty from the battle glinted in the sunlight as the armor fell from the sky at an accelerated pace.

 

“Oh my god-!”

 

~

 

“Please tell me nobody kissed me.”

 

Steve shook his head in disbelieving amusement, patting Tony’s chest plate.

“Is everyone accounted for?” Steve asked, gaze drifting around the rag-tag group. They were a little worse for wear but they were alive and that’s all that matters.

“Looks like it.” Clint said, reaching down to pick up a stray arrow. He examined it critically before shoving it back in his quiver. 

Thor brushed the stray strands from his face, looking at his comrades to access the damage. So far it was just Tony’s suit that took the brunt of the battle. He paused, whirling around to scan the area.

“You alright there, Point Break?” Tony asked as Steve and Clint hoisted him up to his feet.

 

“Where is Lady Sealy?”

 

Steve’s eyes widened as he finally noticed Tanya wasn’t with them. “Mamba? Tanya, come in.”

Silence flowed through the comlink much to the groups growing unease.

“Everyone remain calm.” Tony said, removing his comlink. “We can just ping her comlink.”

 

“What if she lost it?”

 

“Or worse, what if she’s-?”

 

“-nope, not going there, Barton.” He interrupted, nibble fingers fidgeting with his comlink. Since JARVIS was down he’d just have to do it manually. A sound, similar to a submarine signal pinged through the momentary silence. He waited a few tense moments before finally his ears picked up on the receiving signal. “Over there."

Steve and Clint helped him limp towards the direction Tanya’s signal was coming from. They searched through the rubble just In case she was separated from her comlink. Thankfully, she wasn’t.

 

“Tanya?”

 

Face down on the dirt and not moving, Steve thought the worse. Leaving Tony to rest against Clint the blond rushed to her side. “Mamba...Tanya.” He rolled her onto her side, fingers pressing to her neck to check for a pulse. “We need a medic team down here, and fast.” His eyes trailed down her body, resting on the damage the alien’s gun did to her lower back. The skin around the wound was tinted grey and took on a scaly appearance, much like her namesake.

 

“Is she-?”

 

Steve shook his head. “Fortunately not, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

 

+

 

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Tony demanded the frazzled nurse. She was so pale it looked as if she seen a ghost. “How can she be gone?”

The nurse stammered, adjusting her wiry glasses nervously. “I-I don’t know, Mr. Stark. I was getting ready to p-prep her for the doctor and she just-” She gulped, feeling her throat dry under the attention of the Avengers and a chained Loki being held by Thor as they waited on Tanya’s condition.”-just vanished.”

“How?” Loki inquired curiously, earning a sharp tug on the chain from his adopted brother. This earned Thor an annoyed look before turning his attention back to the nurse.

 

“One second she was just laying there and then the next thing I knew an inky black cloud formed over her body and took her I guess? It disappeared and she was just gone.”

 

Suddenly the chain restraining Loki was yanked harshly, forcing him to stumbled into Thor’s chest. “What in-why did you have to yank me like some sort of unruly dog?”

 

“What have you done to Lady Sealy?”

 

Loki sneered. “Why would I do anything? How would I have done anything in these binding chains?” He tugged back sharply, putting space between him and Thor’s anger. “I haven’t laid a finger on the child, nor seen her since her failed attempted at interrogating me.”

 

“You speak lies.”

 

“That is what I am know for, yes. But I swear to you, brother, I have nothing to do with the child vanishing.”

 

Thor wanted to believe him, but there was no other explanation for this besides Loki having something to do with it. It also didn’t help that he’s been lied to by his brother before.

“Hold on a moment,” Bruce interrupted, gaining the attention of the Avengers and Loki. “Your brother is right. I think Tanya’s disappearance may be due to her powers.”

“What do you mean?” Clint questioned.

Bruce removed his glasses, clearing the smudges away with the fresh shirt he was given by S.H.I.E.L.D. “I’ve heard of her powers before. She calls upon them directly from the Darkforce Dimension. I always figured it was just a far-fetched theory. I mean, there’s no documented users and it just sounded too surreal to be plausible. But in the last 36 hours I’ve fought with and against gods from norse folklore and stopped an alien invasion. Anything is possible.”

 

“Okay,” Natasha crossed her arms. “What does that have to do with her vanishing?”

“Well...apparently Darkforce users are able to enter the Darkforce Dimension. They can travel through it as a means of teleportation and they can send people and objects into it as well.”

 

“So did she travel through it?”

 

Bruce hesitated. “...I don’t think so. To travel she’d need to be conscious, have a particular place she’d want to appear.”

 

“So what are you saying?”

 

Placing his glasses back on, he met Tony’s anxious gaze. “I’m saying that unless Tanya had a place safe enough she could unconsciously teleport to during emergencies, she’s most likely in the Darkforce Dimension-and before you get your hopes up, her file didn’t contain an ability to teleport. I’m certain she would have used it on the field if she could.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Banner.” Loki spoke up. “She’s been concealing her full capabilities from the start. I thought she was only allowed access to her powers through that malfunctioning implant in her brain, yet even after removing it she still retained her powers.”

 

“Chip?”

 

“You did what?” Thor boomed, anger making his annoyingly large frame seem even bigger. “Loki-"

“Oh relax would you? If anything I did her a favor. Imagine being shocked in the brain every time you called upon your powers. Not a pleasant experience.” He muttered the last part to himself. “Anyhow, your theory she is in the Darkforce Dimension is correct. I placed a tracker spell on her not long after my escape. It is strong enough to track her across the 9 realms, but I do not sense her presence anywhere.”

 

“Why the tracking spell?”

 

“I have many questions, she has answers. Also it does help that she could pass as if not me but one of my descendants-if I were to mix with South East Asian somewhere down the line.” He mused, somewhat to himself. “Anyhow, she’s in the Darkforce Dimension. There’s no way to get to her unless she finds her own way out. If she can that is.”

Tony ran a shaky hand through his hair, wincing slightly as he rubbed against the freshly stitched wound on his hairline. His panic never diminished as he considered his options. “Bruce, you said there weren’t any documented users, right?”

At Bruce’s nod, he continued. “Well, whoever documented it must either have those powers or know someone who did. Or maybe her source of powers are alien. Are there any races that access the Darkforce Dimension?”

Loki frowned. “None that I can name off of the top of my head, but even if I could it’s more than likely I am not on pleasant terms with them.”

Thor’s face twisted in thought, rubbing at his bearded chin. “There is one we could question, but like Loki I am unsure of their willingness to offer us aide.”

 

“Surely you don’t mean-”

 

“Aye, brother.” Thor took in his brother’s widening emerald gaze. “It’s the only way to bring her back to us.”

 

“You would deal with that-that devil’s spawn for the child?”

 

“I don’t care if we have to deal with the devil himself.” Steve interjected, finally speaking up since they found out Tanya was missing. He looked up from his blank stare of the bed she once resided in, fists tightening against his sides.

 

“We’re getting her back. I’m not losing anyone else, not if I have any say in it.”


End file.
